USDA Hardiness Zone 11a
Frost Dates for 90403 — Santa Monica, California
NOAA 1991–2020 normals from Santa Monica Pier, CA (14 ft), 2 miles south.
Updated
No night at or below 32°F was recorded at Santa Monica Pier, CA in 1991–2020, so Santa Monica has no frost dates to plan around; the coolest month, December, averages a low of 50°F.
- Winters with a freeze
- 0%
- Winters with 36°F
- 2%
- Coldest month low
- 50°F
- Hardiness zone
- 11a
32°F or below, 1991–2020
frost possible on leaves
average, December
40 to 45°F (4.4 to 7.2°C) coldest night
- First snow
- Rare
- Last snow
- Rare
- Winters with snow
- 0%
- Snow per year
- 0"
median, 1991–2020
median, 1991–2020
0 of 18 observed
NOAA normal
Frost risk by date in Santa Monica
Santa Monica Pier, CA, 2 miles south of Santa Monica, did not record a night at or below 32°F in 1991–2020; a 36°F night came in 2% of winters. 10 of the 283 other California stations behind this site's ZIP pages recorded no 32°F night either.
Freeze probabilities 1991–2020 at Santa Monica Pier, CA, from NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals. Where a temperature is reached in fewer than 99.5% of years, the dates describe only the years that reach it. Not a forecast.
Frost risk on any date in 90403 →Compare Santa Monica with another place →
Weather by month in Santa Monica
August is the warmest month at Santa Monica Pier, CA, averaging 70°F by day and 62°F at night; January is the coldest at 62°F and 50°F. Not one month recorded a 32°F night; the lowest monthly average low is 50°F.
Warmth for growing adds up to 3,847 growing degree days a year (base 50°F), fewer than at 65% of the 283 California stations. 39% of them (1,495) have built up by the end of June, and August adds the most, 496. Precipitation totals 12.1 inches a year, most in January (3.1") and least in July (0.0"); May to September bring 2% of it.
| Month | High °F | Low °F | Precip. in | 32°F night | Nights ≤ 32°F | GDD 50°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | 50 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 184 |
| Feb | 62 | 50 | 3.1 | 0% | 0 | 170 |
| Mar | 62 | 52 | 1.7 | 0% | 0 | 212 |
| Apr | 63 | 53 | 0.6 | 0% | 0 | 249 |
| May | 63 | 56 | 0.2 | 0% | 0 | 298 |
| Jun | 66 | 59 | 0.1 | 0% | 0 | 383 |
| Jul | 69 | 62 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 479 |
| Aug | 70 | 62 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 496 |
| Sep | 70 | 61 | 0.0 | 0% | 0 | 464 |
| Oct | 68 | 59 | 0.5 | 0% | 0 | 403 |
| Nov | 67 | 54 | 0.8 | 0% | 0 | 308 |
| Dec | 63 | 50 | 2.0 | 0% | 0 | 202 |
Monthly normals 1991–2020 at Santa Monica Pier, CA (14 ft), NOAA NCEI. "32°F night": chance of at least one in the month. GDD: growing degree days, base 50°F.
Compared with the next station
The nearest other station, Santa Monica Municipal Airport, CA, 2 miles southeast of Santa Monica and 160 feet higher, has the same share of winters with a 32°F night, 0%, and a coolest-month low 2°F colder (48°F).
When it snows in Santa Monica, California
Measurable snow is rare here: only 0 of 18 winters from 1991 to 2020 recorded 0.1 inch or more at Santa Monica Pier, CA, 1.8 miles away, so there is no typical first-snow date to plan around.
Where these figures come from
ZIP 90403 is 2 miles from Santa Monica Pier, CA, which stands at 14 feet, the nearest NOAA station that publishes freeze probabilities for 1991–2020. 3 other ZIP codes share the station. The 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map lists ZIP 90403 in zone 11a, the band where the coldest night of the year averaged 40 to 45°F (4.4 to 7.2°C) over 1991–2020; a zone describes winter lows, not frost dates.
Frost dates across California →
Hardiness zone and temperature range: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map 2023 (USDA-ARS, Oregon State University), ZIP-code listing, unchanged. °C converted from °F by this site.
Thirty-year averages, not a forecast: check the forecast before planting out. How stations are matched and which pages are offered to search engines: methodology.